1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for changing state settings of a television receiver by means of a remote controller.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, various systems have been proposed for selecting various display modes or changing a time setting and the like in a set top box (STB) such as a television receiver. For example., there is a system in which keys on a remote controller are each assigned to enter a kind of command. Such a system can simplify operations of keys but makes the remote controller relatively large. Further, since the remote controller is limited in size, there is a limit on the number of keys that can be arranged on the remote controller. Consequently, the number of selectable modes or settings is limited. In order to allow more modes or settings to be selected or changed, such a system as disclosed in Japanese laid-open patent publication Sho 63-208372 is configured to display a setup screen or a menu on a display screen so that a user can enter a command by operating a cursor key and the like on a remote controller while looking at the screen. However, in such a remote controller, a plurality of key operations must be combined for a single command to be entered. Therefore, operations of the remote controller may be considerably cumbersome for a user.
Further, the conventional system that is configured to display a setup screen or a menu on the display screen has the following problem. While a mode selection or a setting change is carried out, a picture image to be primarily displayed on the display screen becomes behind the setup screen or the menu, so that a user cannot view a primarily desired program. This exerts a great influence especially in the case where the remote controller requires cumbersome operations, because it takes long time before a user can view a desired program.